Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young has yet to participate in training camp this summer.
The third-year defensive lineman is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the middle of last season, and is hoping to return before the team’s opening game in five weeks on Sep. 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, the prognosis does not look good for Young to return by the start of the season. Luckily for Washington, it may have found Young’s replacement.
The Commanders hosted 11-year-old cancer survivor (and aspiring defensive lineman) Josiah at the team’s open practice Saturday evening at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
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Josiah comes to the team with proven toughness as a cancer survivor and it appears the team is excited to have him.
During his visit to camp, head coach Ron Rivera invited Josiah to the locker room to be introduced by the team. He also had Young gift him his own burgundy Commanders jersey with a 99 on the front and Josiah’s name on the back.
It’s wholesome to see the Commanders and Rivera come together to celebrate Josiah’s cancer battle. Back in 2020, the franchise dealt with Rivera’s own cancer diagnosis and fight in the middle of the season, one that was also particularly difficult thanks to the navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the perils and injuries of camp already getting the best of the Commanders, it’s refreshing to see the team step aside and present a kid with a moment he won’t forget any time soon.
